by Dennis Dalman
The people of central Minnesota are invited to a “Building Blocks Party” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 on the site of the Great River Children’s Museum in downtown St. Cloud.
Once completed, the GRCM will be the second-largest children’s museum in Minnesota. It will be a regional cultural/social facility open to all the children of central Minnesota – and beyond.
The Oct. 7 public event is a way to celebrate the accelerated construction phase that will allow the museum to host a grand opening, at long last, by late 2024.
In May of this year, the Minnesota State Legislature approved an all-cash bonding bill totaling $7 million for the all-important construction phase of the project.
Some of the fun activities of the Building Blocks Party include the following:
“Touch-a-Construction Truck.” Children and adults will be able to have close-up interactions with construction vehicles, including an aerial lift, excavator and loader.
“Dirt Cake Station.” Offerings of desserts provided by the event’s sponsor, Coborn’s Foods.
Each visiting family will receive a copy of “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site,” provided by the event’s co-sponsor, BCI Construction.
A guest speaker, Robert Geisenhof, who is a kindergarten teacher at Talahi Elementary School, will express the positive, cultural impact the museum will mean for the children of central Minnesota.
Other sponsors are Design Electric Inc. and Craig Bardon Excavating.
The GRCM is located on the south side of First Street S. on the block between Seventh Street and Eighth Street S. It’s recommended visitors park on the “Swan Lot,” just to the west of Eighth Street S. and just to the west of the museum location. There are other parking lots available, too, such as the nearby Centre Square Parking Ramp (free on weekends) or on other lots that have coin metering.
The concept of the GRCM began with local people in 2012. In the next few years, children’s museums in Midwest cities were visited and studied by GRCM planners and supporters.
In 2018, a board of directors was formed and potential sites were considered. Also in 2018, the founders of Liberty Bank in downtown St. Cloud donated its former building as a museum site. In the following years, fundraising and applications for grants continued to increase. In 2020, an executive director (Cassie Miles) was hired, and roundtable discussions began with early-childhood educators, special-education teachers and downtown businesses.
In 2021, major donations/pledges were given as exhibit sponsorships, two of them amounting to $1 million each. A program/outreach manager (Kylie Conover) was hired.
In 2022, GRCM brought exhibit-based experiences to communities outside of St. Cloud via a partnership with the Great River Regional Library system.
In May 2023, the Minnesota State Legislator voted to approve $7 million for the GRCM, which made possible the current construction developments at the site.
This an artist’s conception of what the Great River Children’s Museum will look like after it opens in late 2024. It will include outdoor play/learning areas and many fun and interactive exhibits inside the museum.
